Door latch illuminating means



Oct. 2, 1956 E. o. IVERSON 2,765,396

DOOR LATCH ILLUMINATING MEANS Filed June 16 1951 INVENTOR it 0. [Larson 7 BY @Mm@ ATTORNEY United States Patent DOOR LATCH ILLUMINATING MEANS Egil 0. Iverson, St. Paul, Minn.

Application June 16, 1951, Serial No. 231,929

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-2.13)

This invention relates to an improvement in door latch illuminating devices and deals particularly with a light useful in illuminating the locking portion of a door latch to simplify the insertion of the key.

Considerable difliculty is experienced in locating the key holes of door latches and the like at night. If there is no light illuminating the door-way, it is necessary to insert the key through the sense of touch. The present invention deals with a light which may be supported in position to illuminate at least the latch portion of the door in the dark.

An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a battery operated light supported in a casing and detachably secured to the door or door frame in the vicinity of the latch. Preferably the light is mounted on the door directly above the latch plate or escutcheon plate encircling the key hole. This light is normally turned off and therefore does not cause a drain on the batteries. However, the light may be turned on temporarily when it is desired to insert the key in the lock, so as to facilitate this process.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provi sion of a light mounted on a casing which projects forwardly from the surface of the door or door frame; As a result the light casing may be readily located in the dark. This casing is provided with a push button which projects therefrom and which controls the operation of the light. By merely locating the light casing and pressing upon the readily located light button, the light is turned on so that the key may be readily inserted in the lock.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the particular form and construction of the device. The casing is formed with a vertical barrel substantially closed at its upper end and having a lower bottom end. A light bulb and reflector are preferably supported in the lower end of this barrel. A battery is slidably supported within the barrel. The battery is usually supported in such a way that the circuit is broken with the light. However, by moving the battery longitudinally of the barrel the circuit may be closed and the light turned on.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the light may be held in on position, either by a constant pressure upon the operating button or by turning the button on. The push button which operates the light acts against spring pressure so that when the pressure upon the button is relieved the circuit to the light will normally be broken. However, cam means are provided engageable with the push button so that if desired the button may be rotated about its axis, and this rotation will act to move the battery longitudinally of the barrel. Thus by turning the push button the light circuit may be closed.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claim.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Patented Oct. 2, 1956 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a door showing the light in place thereupon.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the apparatus and a portion of the supporting member.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the apparatus, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus showing the construction thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bracket for detachably supporting the light.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the upper portion of the barrel showing the push button in position to close the circuit to the light.

The light A is designed for attachment to a door B or similar structure. As illustrated in Figure 1, the light is preferably supported directly above the escutcheon plate 10 encircling the key hole 11. The light is particularly useful in illuminating the key holes so that the key 12 may be inserted therein. Obviously the light could be mounted in diflerent places rather than in the specific location illustrated.

The light A includes a housing 13 having a closed upper end 14. In the particular form of construction illustrated this upper end is generally triangular in form having a rounded front and a pair of diverging sides extending substantially tangent to the rounded front.

As also illustrated in the drawings, a hollow cylindrical sleeve 15 forms the center portion of the body. The forward wall of the sleeve 15 forms the rounded front end of the housing. A flat rear wall 16 is centrally connected or integral with the sleeve 15 while the marginal edges of the rear wall 16 join the diverging sides 17 and 19 of the housing body.

A rearwardly extending flange 20 extends along one edge of rear panel 16 while a similar flange 21 extends upwardly along the opposite edge thereof. These flanges 2G and 21 merge into the diverging side walls 17 and 19 and form a continuation thereof. The casing top 14 extends rearwardly beyond the plate 16 to the plane of the rear edges of the flanges 20 and 21. Thus the rear panel 16 is held in spaced relation to the door B or other support for the light.

A bracket C, best illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, is designed for attachment to the door B to re movably support the casing A. This bracket C includes a mounting plate 22 having downwardly and inwardly inclined side edges 23 and 24. Forwardly extending flanges 25 and 26 are connected along the inclined edges 23 and 24 to the mounting plate 22. Coplanar inturned opposed flanges 27 and 29 are secured marginally to the forwardly extending flanges 25 and 26. These flanges 27 and 29 are in spaced parallel relation to the mounting plate 22 and provide slots or channels 30 and 31 in which a suitable supporting member on the light housing A may be attached. Apertures 32 are provided in the plate 22 through which screws 38 or other suitable fastening means may extend. As indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings a circular groove 33 is provided in the wall of the barrel 15 at the lower end thereof. A concave reflector 34 is provided with a peripheral edge 35 engageable in the groove 33, the upper surface of the reflector abutting against the base of the groove. The reflector 34 is preferably threaded as indicated at 36 to accommodate the light bulb 37. A lens or transparent closure 39 is also marginally engaged in the groove 33 to abut against the marginal flange 35 of the reflector 34. Both the reflector .and the lens are held in place by a split expansion ring 40 or similar means. A threaded cap or ring may be substituted therefor, if desired.

The barrel 15 is provided with a groove 41 therein extending longitudinally of the barrel. A battery 42 of a type commonly used in flash lights and the like is slidably supported within the barrel. A metal spring 43 is interposed between the metallic reflector 34 and the lower end of the battery. The battery is provided with a terminal 44 projecting centrally therefrom, this terminal forming. one pole of the battery and being insulated from the outer metallic shell of the battery. The metallic battery shell is provided with a metallic upper end 45 which, with the encircling shell, forms the other pole of the battery.

A contact strip 46 is sliclably supported in the groove 41. This contact strip 46 is provided with a transverse upper end 47 which overlies the metallic upper end of the battery 42 and is doubled or deformed at 49 so as to insure contact with the metallic upper end of the battery. The contact strip 41 is also provided with an inwardly extending flange 59 at its lower end which underlies the insulation and is engaged with the spring 43. This flange 50 does not extend beneath the battery a distance sufficient to contact the battery pole 44, but does extend inwardly sufficiently to form electrical contact with the spring 43.

An opening 52 is provided at the upper end of the barrel 1'5 and concentric therewith. A push button 53 is slidably supported within this opening '52. A cross member 54 is secured to the lower end of the push button '53 and is integral therewith or attached thereto. This cross member 54 normally engages the undersurface of the closed top 14 of the casing 13 and is held thereag-ainst by the spring 43. A projecting rounded lug '55 which is at the center of the cross member '54 insures physical contact between the push button structure and the arm 47 of the contact strip 46.

As best indicated in Figures 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, a pair of opposed cam shaped projections are provided within. the barrel 15' attached to the top closure 14. These cam projections are arranged on opposite sides of the cross bar 54 forming a part of the push button structure. These projections 56 incline downwardly in opposed relation so as to guide the push button 53 downwardly upon rotation of the push button. In other words, if the push button is rotated in one direction the cross member 54 will ride over the surface of the cam projections '56 and will be urged downwardly thereby. This downward movement of the push button acts to. close a circuit to the light bulb in a manner which will be later described in detail. Rotation of the push button in the opposite direction will relieve the downward pressure against the battery and will break the light circuit.

In operation the parts are assembled as best illustrated in the drawings. It will be noted from Figure '2 of the drawings that the projection 44 forming one pole of the battery 42 is normally spaced from the center contact 57 of the light bulb '37 and accordingly the circuit to the light is open. However, when it is desired to illuminate the light the push button 53 is depressed downwardly. This button acts against the arm portion 47 of the contact strip 46 torcause pressure on the top 'of the battery and to cause the battery and contact strip to slide downwardly as a unit, compressing the spring 43. This movement is continued until the center contact 44 of the battery 42 engages the center contact 57 of the light bulb 37. The circuit then extends from the battery through the projection 44, and the center contact '57 of the light bulb. The circuit from the light bulb continues through the 4 threaded shell portion 59 of the light bulb, the threaded sleeve 36 of the reflector 34, the metallic spring 43, the contact strip 46 to the opposite pole of the battery. Thus as long as the push button 53 remains depressed the light will be illuminated. If it is desired to retain the light illuminated for any considerable length of time, it is only necessary to rotate the push button 5.: in place of pushing it downwardly. The rotation of the push button causes the cross member 54 to engage the cam portions 5%? which in turn ac to depress the push button as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings. The pitch of the cam surfaces is such as to prevent the reverse movement of the battery until the push button is rotated in the opposite direction.

When it is desired to replace the battery it is only necessary to remove the split retaining ring and to remove the lens and reflector. The battery 42 may then be removed through the open lower end of the barrel. The contact strip 43 slides from the barrel with the battery. This contact strip is arranged in place upon the new battery and the various parts reassembled.

In accordance with the patent statutes, 1 have described the principles of construction and operation of my door latch illuminating device, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of my invention. 7

I claim:

A key hole light assembly for being detachably mounted on a door frame adjacent a key insert by wedging bracket means and including in combination a housing, a vertical barrel within said housing, said barrel being of proper dimensions to support a battery, a sliding contact strip extending from one end of said barrel to the other end of said barrel and having arms overlying portions of both ends of the battery, one of said arms contacting the battery shell, the other arm contacting the other end of the battery, a light bulb supported in the lower end of said barrel in the path of movement of the battery, said light bulb having a center contact in the path of movement of the battery, resilient means within said barrel engaging said other arm for urging the battery in one direction, rotatably locking and freely depres'sible switch means including a push button projecting upwardly from said housing, a cross member on the lower end of said push button within said housing, cpposed downwardly inclined projections providing relative frictional cam surfaces on opposite sides of said cross bar to guide the push button and cross bar downwardly upon rotation thereof and hold the same in depressed relationship until released from said projections, and a projecting lug depending from said cross member serving to move and hold said battery against the force of said resilient means for urging the battery in the one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,386,474 Vince Aug. 2, 1921 1,884,108 Moran Oct. 25, 1932 2,387,753 Frank et .al. Oct. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 533,189 Great Britain Feb. 7, 194-1 

